Cypress tree. Historical legends and properties of the oldest cypress tree. Cypress plant

Family: cypress (Cupressaceae).

Homeland

The temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere - Mediterranean, North America, southern China.

The form: evergreen trees and shrubs.

Description

Cypress is an evergreen tree, less often a shrub. Height up to 25 m. Cypress is a tree that grows very slowly. Reaches the average size at the age of 80-100 years. The crown is pyramidal or spreading, occasionally all branches are in the same horizontal plane. Branches are ramified many times. The needles are evergreen, scaly, cross-paired. Cypress cones are woody, rounded with numerous thyroid scales. Cypress seeds are flat, numerous. They reach maturity in the second year.

In the modern classification, from 12 to 25 species of cypress are distinguished, less than 10 species are used in ornamental gardening.

Cypress arizona (C. arizonica). Homeland - Southwest USA, Mexico. V natural environment grows in the Crimea and Transcarpathia. Height up to 21 m. Growth rates are high. The color of the young bark is gray, the old one is red-brown, the bark is irregularly exfoliated in long narrow stripes. The shape of the crown is shirokokeglevidny. The branches are horizontally spaced from each other. The color of the needles is bluish-green. The needles contain etheric glands. Cones are large, up to 3 cm in diameter, with thick, sharp scales.

, or common cypress (C. sempervirens). In its natural environment, it grows in the west of Asia and the south of Europe, in the Mediterranean. Height up to 30 m. Growth rates are high. The tree has a lifespan of up to 2000 years. Barrel diameter up to 60 cm. Straight trunk. The color of the young bark is grayish-reddish, the old one is brown-gray. The shape of the crown is pyramidal or spreading. The needles are small, pressed against the branches, the color is bluish-green or gray-green. The needles contain etheric glands. The cones are large, up to 3 cm in diameter, with thick, sharp scales, the color of the cones is grayish-brown.

Cypress italian (C. italian). Homeland - Mediterranean. Dwarf species... Height up to 7 m. The trunk is bare at the base. The crown is lush.

Californian cypress, or cypress govin (C. Goveniana). Homeland - North America. By appearance similar to large-fruited cypress, but its cones are smaller.

Kashmir cypress (C. corneyana). Homeland - Himalayas, North India. The most graceful type of cypress. Height up to 45 m. Growth rates are high. The diameter of the trunk is up to 70 cm. The shape of the crown is narrow-pyramidal, rather specific: the main branches are raised, and thin long young shoots are omitted. The color of the needles is bluish-green, changing from the heat to intense bluish.

(C. macrocarpa). Homeland - the south of the United States. The height of the cypress is up to 25 m. Growth rates are high. The trunk is straight. The shape of the crown of a young tree is columnar, of an adult tree, spreading. Multi-branched plant, branches branch off horizontally. The color of the needles is yellowish-green or golden. The needles have a lemon scent. Cones are large, up to 3.8 cm in diameter.

Cypress Macnaba (C. Macnabiana). Height up to 12 m. The shape of the crown is broad-pyramidal. There is a shrub form of the plant.

, or Lusitanian cypress (C. lusitanica). Homeland - the south of the USA, Mexico. Height up to 40 m. The life of the tree is up to 2000 years. The trunk diameter is up to 16 m. The color of the bark is reddish-brown. The shape of the crown of an adult tree is broad-pyramidal, the old one is tent-shaped, spreading with drooping branches. The branches extend almost from the base of the trunk. The needles are tightly pressed against the branches. Cones up to 1.5 cm in diameter, the color of young cones is bluish-green, mature ones - brown.

(C. funebris). Homeland - China. Height up to 18 m. The branches are drooping. The color of the needles is light green. The diameter of the cones is 1.3 cm.

Growing conditions

All cypress varieties require different growing conditions. Therefore, before growing a cypress, you need to study the specifics of a particular species.

Mexican cypress is quite capricious, it does not tolerate drought very well, needs more moisture, and not only in the soil, but also in the air. Not hardy. different types of cypress are suitable for this type, both fresh calcareous and red earth, the main thing is that it is well drained.

The McNaba cypress is more resistant to frost and drought than other types of cypress. Unfortunately, this attractive garden cypress is the least common.

Italian cypress is hardy. The soil for this type of cypress is preferable to be loose, well-drained, protecting its powerful root system from waterlogging. The Italian cypress needs direct sunlight.

Kashmiri cypress, more than other cypress species, needs warmth and abundant watering.

Large-fruited cypress grows best in light loamy, well-drained soil, but can be planted in sandy and limestone soil. Shade-tolerant, however prefers diffused lighting. Drought does not tolerate well. It is frost-resistant only up to -15C. Needs a lot of moisture in the air.

California cypress is very unpretentious: shade-tolerant, drought-resistant, undemanding to the soil and the degree of its moisture.

Arizona cypress is frost-hardy up to -25C. Drought-resistant. Photophilous.

Evergreen cypress is not frost-resistant, needs very humid air... The soil for this type of cypress must be constantly moistened. At the same time, it tolerates short-term periods of drought and temperature drops to -20C well. Shade-tolerant, undemanding to soil.

Application

Cypress is a very spectacular plant. V landscape design cypress trees are used for both outdoor and home gardening. The nuances of decorating a garden with cypresses depend on the conditions under which cypresses are grown.

McNab's cypresses and Californian cypresses perfectly decorate and strengthen rocky and sandy areas of the garden, look great in small solo or mixed group plantings. They provide protection from the wind, so such a cypress in the country will not only be a decoration.

Arizona, Mexican, evergreen cypress perfectly tolerate haircuts, making them excellent plants for tall formation.

The most decorative cypress is the pyramidal shape of the evergreen cypress. A pyramidal cypress in a small group mono plant will become the pearl of the garden. The horizontal shape is good for large group plantings and clipped walls.

Large-fruited cypress is a very effective container and houseplant.

Homemade cypress is a popular plant for indoor landscaping... Many varieties of cypress are actively used as. A cypress in a pot can be kept at home in the autumn-winter period, and in the spring and summer it can be used to decorate a garden with it.

In addition, cypress wood is actively used in construction, shipbuilding, arts and crafts, and also as a source aromatic oils... The medicinal properties of cypress have been known since antiquity.

Care

Even the most frost-resistant cypress varieties in central Russia in the first years of life need shelter for the winter. Young cypress trees in the garden should also be tied up so that they will not be broken by the wind.

In spring and summer, cypress is watered abundantly, otherwise the cypress dries, in autumn - moderately. Street cypress, which is carefully cared for, grows in central Russia almost as powerful and effective as its southern counterparts.

Many questions about how to care for cypress arise from those who grow cypress at home. So, the periodic transplanting of cypress is an event that is characteristic precisely for indoor gardening. Homemade cypress requires high humidity air, otherwise the cypress turns yellow.

Indoor cypress, which is properly cared for, pleases its owners for many years.

Reproduction

Cypress is propagated by seed and cuttings.

Growing a cypress from seeds is a fairly simple procedure: mature cypress seeds have a large percentage of germination, in the first year of life the tree is used as a home cypress and decorates the room, then a cypress in a pot in summer period can be put outdoors as a container plant, and an already matured, mature tree can be used as a street cypress. Even an inexperienced gardener can grow cypress from seeds on his own.

Cypress is a tree that can be propagated by cuttings. In this case, it is important to choose a stalk with a heel so that it takes root. Propagating cypress by cuttings takes some practice.

In addition, you can buy cypress in various nurseries (both young cypress seedlings and).

Diseases and pests

The most common damage to cypress is yellowing. Cypress turns yellow from excessive dry air (especially when grown indoors). Cypress dries out from insufficient watering.

Diseases of cypress and damage by pests are more characteristic of room landings cypress. Cypress is a plant that, when planted in the ground, is practically not susceptible to disease.

Popular varieties and shapes

Varieties and forms of Arizona cypress

'Aschersoniana'- undersized cypress.

'Compacta'- shrub form with a rounded crown and bluish-green color of needles.

‘Сonica’- a variety with a pin-shaped crown and a bluish-gray color of needles. Not hardy.

'Fastigiata'- a squat form with a bluish-gray color of needles.

'Glauca'- a variety with a slightly columnar crown and a silvery-gray color of needles. This cypress is not hardy.

‘Pyramidalis’- blue cypress with a conical crown.

Varieties and forms of evergreen cypress

'Fastigiata Forluselu'- dwarf cypress.

'Fastigiata montrosa' - dwarf form.

‘Horizontalis’- a form with a wide-pyramidal crown and branches growing almost horizontally.

‘Indica’- a form with a columnar crown.

'Stricta'- pyramidal cypress, widespread in the Crimea and the Mediterranean.

Varieties and forms of Mexican cypress

‘Benthamii’- a form with a graceful crown and gray-green color of needles.

‘Lindleyi’- green cypress with large cones.

'Tristis'- a form with a columnar crown and original branches growing downward.

Varieties and forms of large-fruited cypress

'Goldcrest'- 'Goldcrest' cypress is distinguished by its golden color of needles and a pyramidal shape of the crown.

'Goldcrest Vilma'- 'Goldcrest Wilma' cypress has bright yellow shoots.

Plant cypress (Latin Chamaecyparis) belongs to the genus of evergreen conifers of the Cypress family. There are seven main species and several hundred cultivars in this genus. Under natural conditions, cypress trees sometimes reach a height of seventy meters. Outwardly, they somewhat resemble cypress, so these plants are often confused, but the branches of the cypress are smaller than those of the cypress, and flatter. Most of all, the cypress with its pyramidal crown resembles thuja. A cypress native to East Asia and North America.

It has been cultivated in culture since the end of the 18th century. Today, the cypress plant in the garden is as common as the cypress plant on the windowsill.

Listen to the article

Planting and caring for a cypress tree (in short)

Landing: in April.
Bloom: the plant is grown as an ornamental deciduous plant.
Lighting: bright diffused light for plants with yellow-green needles and partial shade for species and varieties with green needles.
The soil: nutritious, not limed and well-drained loam.
Watering: regular, water consumption - 10 liters per plant, but in extreme heat, humidification should be more frequent and more abundant.
Air humidity: in the hot season, seedlings need daily spraying, and adult plants are sprayed at least once a week.
Cropping: in spring and autumn.
Top dressing: complex mineral fertilizer twice a month until mid-summer. Young seedlings are fed for the first time two months after planting with a solution of mineral fertilizer in a half dosage.
Reproduction: seeds, cuttings and layering.
Pests: scale insects and spider mites.
Diseases: root rot.

Cypress plant - description

Three types of cypress - tuyose, Nutkan and Lawson - are natives of North America, the other four - pea, dull, Formosan and mourning - come from East Asia. In nature, these are tall trees with dense and small scale-like needles and smaller round cones than cypress, with fewer seeds than cypress. In addition, North American and Japanese cypress species are much more winter-hardy than cypress trees, they are able to overcome our winter cold without shelter. However, cypress trees, unlike cypress trees, tolerate summer droughts with great difficulty.

The crown of the cypress is cone-shaped, with long drooping or outstretched branches. The trunk is covered with brown or brownish bark, consisting of small scales. Green, dark green, yellowish-green or bluish-smoky leaves are tightly pressed and pointed, and cypress seedlings have needle-shaped leaves, and adult plants are scaly. The plant cones reach a diameter of 12 mm, the cypress seeds ripening in them are ready for reproduction already in the year of planting.

In recent years, more than two hundred cultivars of the plant have been bred in Europe, America and Japan, differing in different shades of needles, crown shape, growth rate and other qualities.

Planting a cypress

When to plant cypress

It is better to plant cypress in light partial shade, avoiding lowlands in which cold air stagnates. Species with yellow-green needles require more light than cypress trees with green or bluish foliage. Plants prefer nutritious, well-drained soil, preferably loamy and not calcareous. Cypress is planted in spring, in April, when the soil warms up after winter, however landing pit it is better to cook for him in the fall, so that the earth has time to settle.

Dig a hole 90 cm deep and 60 cm wide, place a layer of broken brick with sand at least 20 cm thick on the bottom and fill it halfway with a carefully mixed substrate of three parts of turf, three parts of humus, two parts of peat and one part of sand. During the winter, the substrate will rot, settle and quickly warm up in the spring. If you plant more than one plant, but several, the distance between them should be at least one meter, and preferably more, since the root system of the cypress grows horizontally.

How to plant cypress

As planting material most often used are cypress seedlings, which are easy to purchase in a garden nursery or in a flower shop. Before planting, water the planting hole with water, spill an earthen clod of the seedling with a root solution at the rate of one package of the preparation for 5 liters of water, then place the seedling in the center of the hole and fill the fertile soil described in previous section composition, mixed with 300 g of nitroammophoska.

Since after planting the soil will surely give a sediment, position the seedling in such a way that its root collar is 10-20 cm above the soil level. Water the seedling after planting. When the soil settles, add more soil so that the neck is flush with the surface of the site, then mulch the soil around the cypress tree and tie the seedling to a support.

Cypress care

How to care for a cypress tree

Growing cypress primarily involves regular weekly watering of the plant. The amount of water poured under one plant in one watering is approximately 10 liters, but if it is dry heat, then the cypress needs more frequent and more abundant watering. In addition, an adult cypress must also be sprayed at least once a week, and the seedlings need to be sprayed daily. If the area around the plant is mulched with peat or wood chips that retain moisture well, water the cypress only when it dries out. upper layer soil.

If for some reason you do not want to mulch the area with cypress, you will have to regularly remove the weeds after watering and loosen the soil in the area deeply, about 20 cm deep.

The first feeding of the seedling with complex fertilizers is carried out only two months after planting, and the concentration should be two times weaker than that recommended for an adult plant. Adult cypress trees are fed with complex mineral fertilizer twice a month until mid-July. As such a fertilizer, Kemira has proven itself well for conifers, which is scattered over near-trunk circle and buried in the ground. From the middle of summer, feeding is stopped, otherwise the plant may not have time to prepare for winter.

Cypress transplant

It is also advisable to transplant cypress in the spring. Actually, the transplant is carried out according to the same principle as the initial planting of a seedling. But before you transplant a cypress, you need to consider that you will have to dig up a plant with a branched horizontal root system.

Cypress pruning

Cypress care involves pruning the plant regularly. In early spring, the frozen ends of the shoots are cut off, old, damaged and dry branches are removed. In addition to performing sanitary pruning in the spring, you can form a cypress crown. This usually involves supporting the plant's natural pyramidal or conical shape. For one haircut, you can cut no more than a third of the green mass. At the end of the growing season, in the fall, in order for the crown of the plant to become thicker, a third of the growth of the current year is cut, keeping the given or natural shape.

Do not leave bare branches on the plant, as they will dry out anyway. The cypress crown begins to form a year after planting or transplanting the plant.

Cypress pests and diseases

Cypress trees are resistant to pests and diseases, but sometimes they are still affected by spider mites and scale insects, and cypress trees most often suffer from root rot from diseases.

The vital activity of spider mites leads to the fact that the cypress turns yellow and loses its leaves. Spider mites are killed by repeatedly treating the plant at weekly intervals with Apollo, Neoron or Nissoran acaricides.

The scale insects feed on the sap of the plant, this disrupts the supply of leaves, the cypress dries, its leaves fall off. The scabbards die after spraying the cypress with Nuprid or a preparation similar in effect, and several treatment sessions may be needed. If the defeat is total, then it would be better to destroy the cypress before other plants are infected.

Root rot is a fungal disease that arises from stagnation of moisture in the roots - that is why it is so important to lay a thick layer of bricks with sand in the hole when planting. If the disease is not diagnosed in time, it can destroy the plant. A diseased cypress is dug up, its roots are cut to healthy tissue, treated with a fungicide and transplanted into more appropriate place in compliance with all agrotechnical requirements. If the disease has killed the root system, the plant will have to be destroyed.

Cypress propagation

How to propagate cypress

The cypress is propagated by both seeds and vegetatively - cuttings and layering. The seed method is most often propagated by wild plant species. The most in a simple way reproduction is by layering, and the most reliable is cuttings.

Cypress propagation by seeds

Correctly harvested and dried cypress seeds do not lose their germination for 15 years! Pre-sowing material must be stratified to improve germination. The seeds are sown in boxes or containers with light soil, taken out into the yard and placed under a layer of snow, where they will remain until spring. You can keep containers with seeds in vegetable box refrigerator. With the onset of spring, the boxes are brought into the room, and as soon as the seeds are warmed up, they begin to germinate quickly at a temperature of 18-23 ºC, if you place them in a well-lit place, protected from direct sunlight.

Seedlings are watered moderately, and if they have sprouted too thickly, they are dived. As soon as a positive temperature is established outside, the crops for hardening begin to be taken out to fresh air for several hours a day. As soon as the seedlings are strong enough, they are planted in open ground, in a bed with loose soil, located in a shady place in the garden, where they will remain for the winter under cover. However, the seed propagation method of cypress does not guarantee the preservation of the varietal characteristics of the parents, therefore it is justified only in the case of a selection experiment.

Propagation of cypress by cuttings

In spring, apical cuttings 5-15 cm long are cut from young lateral shoots, needles are removed from their lower part and planted in flower pots with a substrate consisting of sand and perlite in equal parts with a small addition of chopped coniferous bark, then cover plastic bag to create a greenhouse effect. At 100% humidity, the cuttings take root in one to two months.

You can plant cuttings directly into open ground, but for each cutting you must put on plastic bottle with a cut neck. Cuttings planted in open ground with normal development can winter in the garden without shelter. If the cuttings take root with a delay, they are brought into the room for the winter.

Cypress propagation by layering

In this way, prostrate or creeping forms cypress. Low-growing shoots of the plant are bent to the ground, do on outside shoot an incision, insert a pebble into it so that it does not close, lay the layering with an incision on the ground and fix it with a bracket. The top of the layering is tied to a peg, and the place where the shoot is attached to the ground is sprinkled with soil. During the growing season, the layer is watered together with the mother plant, and after it has formed its own roots, the layer is separated from the cypress and transplanted.

It is advisable to transplant the cuttings to a new place in the spring, although the roots of the shoot may appear in the fall.

Cypress in winter

Cypress in the fall (preparation for winter)

Winter-hardy species and varieties of cypress need shelter for the first 3-4 years of life after planting, and not so much from frost as from bright winter and spring sun... To do this, you need to wrap the cypress trees in burlap, acrylic, lutrasil or kraft paper.

Cypress wintering

In the suburbs, in the Urals or in Siberia, a cypress in open ground not grown - it is grown in large tubs, which are brought into the room for the winter. In warmer regions, in Ukraine, Moldova or Crimea, where cypress grows in gardens, adult plants normally hibernate without shelter.

Types and varieties of cypress

We offer you an acquaintance with seven types of cypress and their most popular cultivars.

Pea cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera)

Originally from Japan. The height of the pea cypress in wildlife reaches 30 meters. The bark of plants of this species is brown with a red tint, an openwork crown in the form of a wide cone, branches spread horizontally. The color of the needles is bluish-blue, the cones are yellowish-brown, small - no more than 6 mm in diameter. The most popular cultivars of pea cypress:

cypress Boulevard, or, if correct, cypress Boulevard- reaches a height of five or more meters. The crown is in the shape of a pins, the silvery-blue needles are awl-shaped, bent inward, up to 6 cm long. The seedlings grow very slowly, but as they mature, growth accelerates, adding 10 cm of growth annually. Low winter hardiness, therefore, it is better to grow this cultivar in warm regions;
cypress filifera grows up to five meters in height. The crown is in the form of a wide cone, the shoots are spaced or drooping, strongly drooping towards the ends. Slow growth. Needles dark gray-green, scaly. In culture since 1861;
cypress nana- a low-growing, slow-growing shrub with a squat crown in the form of a pillow. At the age of 60, the plant can grow no more than 60 cm in height, and up to one and a half meters in diameter. The needles of this cypress form are small, scaly, bluish. In culture since 1891.

Lawson's cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana)

Originally from North America, reaching a height of about 70 meters in nature. The crown of plants of this species is narrow-conical, widening downward, the top is most often tilted to one side, branches can fall to the ground. The thick bark of a red-brown color cracks into plates, the needles are green, shiny on top, cones with a diameter of 8-10 cm, light brown with a bluish bloom. Varieties:

Lawson Elwoody cypress has a conical crown, reaches a height of three meters. The branches are straight, slightly drooping, the blue needles are thinner than that of the original species, they have many shapes: Elwoody Gold, Elwoody Pidgemy, Elwoody White, Elwoody Pillar;
Blue Seprise- a dwarf form up to 3.5 meters high and a dense, narrow-pyramidal crown diameter up to one and a half meters. The bark is brownish-reddish, prone to cracking, the needles are very small, silvery-blue;
Lawson Flatchery cypress grows up to eight meters high. Its crown is columnar, the branches are directed upward, the branches are bluish or green, in autumn they acquire a purple tint. The form was introduced into culture in 1911.

Blunt cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa)

Japanese origin. In nature, it grows up to 50 meters in height, the trunk reaches two meters in girth. The bark is smooth, light brown, the shoots branch densely and repeatedly, the tops hang slightly. The needles on the upper side are yellow-green or green, shiny, on the lower side - in distinct white stomatal stripes. Leaves are scaly, pressed against the shoots. In culture since 1861. Popular varieties:

Albopicta- dwarf cultivar up to two meters high. Numerous branches are arranged horizontally, branches with yellow-white tips, green needles;
Sanderi- a slowly growing dwarf form with horizontally arranged or straight branches of uneven thickness and fork-shaped branches. The needles are bluish-green, purple-violet in winter;
Kontorta- a kegle-shaped cypress up to two meters high with dense light green needles.

Thuate cypress (Chamaecyparis thyoides)

Comes from North America. In nature, it reaches a height of 25 meters, the trunk diameter is up to one meter. The crown of this species is in the form of a narrow cone. The bark is reddish brown. Light green or dark blue needles, when rubbed, give off a peculiar smell. In culture since 1736. Forms:

Konica- a dwarf form of a pin-shaped outline. It grows slowly. Straight branches, blunt, subulate needles, bent down;
Endelaiensis- dwarf keeled cypress up to 2.5 meters high with short dense branches, straight branches and slightly fan-shaped branches. The needles are bluish-green, paired opposite.

Nutkan cypress, or yellow (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis)

Grows naturally along the Pacific coast. This tree reaches a height of 40 meters. His crown is graceful, dense, the tops of the branches form a fan-shaped pattern. The bark is peeling, gray-brown. The needles are dark green, when rubbed, they emit bad smell... Cones are spherical. Popular forms:

Pendula (weeping)- drought-resistant and smoke-resistant tree up to 15 m tall with drooping tips of shoots and small, shiny dark green needles;
Glauka- the height of this cypress tree is 15-20 meters, the diameter of the narrow-conical crown is about 6 meters, the cracking bark is gray-brown in color, the needles are prickly, scaly, bluish-green.

After this article, they usually read

Acts as a typical representative of the family. Found naturally in the mountains near the Mediterranean Sea in the east.

This is one of the varieties of cypress trees that can have a spreading or pyramidal crown.
The maximum tree height can reach 30 meters.
The trunk is up to 1 meter thick. But a tree grows to such a size for many years, it takes at least half a century.

The bark is slightly reddish, small leaves are collected in branches of a dark green hue. They snuggle tightly to the shoots. The fruits are cones with large scales. Their maximum length is 35 mm. When the fruit ripens, the scales detach and acquire a slightly yellowish color.

Goldcrest Wilma

This cypress belongs to the Cypress family. It looks like a herringbone with narrow leaves, but in a miniature size. Shoots have a light green, almost yellow tint... Because of this, the plant is called "golden". The trunk of the plant is very slender.

Scaly small leaves exude a faint lemon scent. The variety was obtained on the islands of Foggy Albion especially for cultivation in indoor conditions... Later he received the fame of the most popular plant for the office.

Representatives of this species differ a lot from other conifers. is different:

high drought resistance;
undemanding to the soil;
high shade tolerance;
slow growth;
life expectancy.

Adult members should be pruned regularly in the spring.

You can also see and learn more about the Goldcrest cypress tree in this video:

Siberian juniper

Another name is. Comes from the genus Juniper and the Cypress family. Some scientists attribute this species to the Common Juniper. It was first described in 1787. Cultivated since 1879.

Grows in natural conditions:

Inner Mongolia.
Japan.
Korea.
In the Russian Far East.
In Siberia.
Himalayas.
In the east.
In the central part of Asia.
in the east of Europe.
North America.

Cypress is very useful plants... When growing at home, they disinfect the air and purify it.

"Dwells" on rocks, in high mountains, rocky slopes, wasteland meadows.

It is a dioecious or monoecious coniferous plant, a low-growing shrub that reaches up to 1 meter in height. Differs in high endurance. It grows very slowly - about 0.5 cm per year... Possesses dense branches.

Elwoody

This is an ornamental plant. It grows as a small tree or shrub. The genus of Cypress trees has 7 species, all of them are evergreen. The homeland of the plant is:

China.
Japan.
North America.

It reaches a height of up to 3 meters, has an incredible conical shape of a coniferous crown of a slightly bluish or green hue. The plant grows 4-6 cm annually.

In Central Russia, Elwoodi cypress can be grown not only indoors, but also outdoors. Differs in unpretentious care.

You can learn more about Elwoody in this video:

Arizona

Is speaking the only kind, whose homeland is the southwestern part of America. Such a tree has an average size (height up to 15-20 meters). The crown has a conical shape, the bark is smooth, reddish-brown in color. Over time, it becomes fibrous with flat ridges.

The foliage is scaly, bluish-green or grayish, sometimes silvery. It is arranged in pairs opposite, tightly clasping 4-sided branches. When rubbed, it has an unpleasant aroma.

The cones reach 2.5 cm, the shape is almost spherical. The shade is dark red-brown. Each cone has 6-8 thyroid wood scales. Cones ripen in the fall for the second season, but remain on the tree for many years.

In ancient times, the cypress was a symbol of grief and sorrow. But with the advent of Christianity, the plant's symbolism changed: the cypress became a symbol of eternal life.

Lawson

It is a variety of evergreen coniferous tall shrubs or short trees from the genus Cypress of the Cypress family. Comes from North America and Asia. There it grows on wet soils in the valleys of the coastal mountains. "Lives" at an altitude of 1.5 km above sea level. The plant was exported from America in 1854, and since then it has been grown in Europe. Able to live up to 6 hundred years.

Is itself tall tree, reaching 50-60 m. The crown is narrow, conical, expanding downward. The apex is narrowed, often sloping sideways. In good conditions, the branches tend to the ground. And with poor care or a dense improper fit, the crown is exposed at the bottom and dries.

It is considered the largest tree of this genus.

The barrel is capable of reaching up to 1.8 meters in diameter. Its bark is brownish-reddish, thick, characterized by cracking into rounded plates. The root is shallow, the system is located in the upper horizon of the soil.

Conclusion

Cypresses are grown in parks and gardens as ornamental plants and hedges. Evergreen cypress is often used for this purpose. Small size some species allow you to grow them indoors.

Shoots and needles of some varieties are used to obtain aromatic oils, which are used in aromatherapy because of their antiseptic, antirheumatic, antispasmodic, tonic and other beneficial qualities.

Cypress is a genus of evergreen coniferous trees, less often shrubs with a spreading or pyramidal crown, 18-25 m high. The plant has fern-like scaly leaves of blue-green color and rounded fruit-cones. Beneficial features cypress trees have been known since ancient times. Galenic preparations of cypress (infusions, tinctures, decoctions, etc.) have antiseptic, astringent, vasoconstrictor, sedative and other therapeutic actions that have found application in traditional medicine in many countries.

Ask the experts

In medicine

Plants of the cypress genus are not pharmacopoeial and are not used in official medicine. But, essential oil cypress, cone infusions and tinctures, cone decoction, extract of needles and cypress shoots, water extract from cones are successfully used in folk medicine, as well as medicine in China and Tibet.

Contraindications and side effects

Cypress also has contraindications for use. It is forbidden to use cypress preparations for pregnant and lactating women, children under 12 years old, people with cancer, in a state after a heart attack, with increased blood clotting, thrombophlebitis, with mastopathy. Also, cypress cannot be used for individual intolerance and allergic reactions.

In cosmetology

In cosmetology, cypress essential oil is used. It soothes sensitive and irritated skin. The oil deeply moisturizes the epidermis and maintains fluid balance in the body, therefore it is excellent for mature and tired skin, tones, helps to smooth wrinkles, increase skin turgor. Cypress oil has bactericidal, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory properties, therefore it is recommended for use by owners of oily and problem skin. The oil helps in the fight against acne, rashes, blackheads. Cypress essential oil tightens pores, regulates the activity of the sebaceous glands, reduces perspiration, has a deodorant effect, and is used to combat warts.

The use of cypress oil for hair is effective. It stimulates hair growth, prevents the formation of dandruff, effectively moisturizes the scalp, and normalizes sebum secretion.

Due to its deep hydration and influence on cellular metabolism, cypress essential oil is successfully used to fight cellulite. Also, the oil is used for sweating, it has deodorant and astringent properties.

In gardening

In landscape design, the cypress tree is used for outdoor and home gardening. This plant looks spectacular both in groups of trees and planted alone. Cypress adorns parks and gardens. Also, the tree is used as protection from the wind.

Many varieties of cypress are actively used as bonsai. A cypress in a pot can be kept at home in the autumn-winter period, and in the spring and summer it can be used to decorate a garden with it. When growing this plant at home, you should know that the cypress root is very delicate and does not tolerate damage well. Transplanting should be carried out only by the transshipment method.

In aromatherapy

Cypress essential oil has a sedative effect, helps to normalize the mental state of a person, relieve nervous tension... The aroma of cypress helps in the fight against insomnia, improves mood. The condition of women during menopause, which is accompanied by headaches, irritability, hot flashes, significantly improves with the use of cypress oil.

Classification

Cypress (Cupressus L) is a genus of evergreen trees and shrubs of the Cypress family (Cupressaceae L.). In the modern classification, from 12 to 25 species are distinguished; in ornamental gardening, about 10 species are used. Some of the most known species: Evergreen cypress - Сupressus sempervirens L., Arizona cypress - Сupressus arizonica, Lusitanian cypress, or Mexican - Сupressus lusitanica Mill, Large cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa), Kashmir cypress (Cupressus caschmeriana Royle).

Botanical description

Cypress is a slender evergreen tree with a pyramidal crown, reaching a height of 18-25 m. Cypress shoots are thin, soft, hanging down. The leaves of this plant are fern-like, scaly, covering branches on all sides, have a rhomboid-elongated shape, about 2 mm long, blue-green in color. Cypress fruits - cones, round, with numerous thyroid scales, ripen in the second year. In addition, cypress, unlike other conifers, adapts well to indoor conditions.

Arizona cypress (Cupressus arizonica) is a tree up to 15 m and more. It grows quickly, light-requiring, drought-resistant. It has a gray bark of young shoots and thin-pointed pale or gray-green leaves. The dark brown bark of old shoots flakes off with long, narrow fibers. Cones up to 2.5 cm in diameter.

Evergreen cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) is a tree up to 30 m tall, with a pyramidal crown and short ascending branches tightly pressed against the trunk. It tolerates prolonged drought and short-term drops in temperature to -20 ° C. Long lasting. Begins to bear fruit from 5-6 years.
Lusitanian cypress, or Mexican (Cupressus lusitanica Mill) - a tree 30-40 m high, with a wide-pyramidal crown, with hanging ends of branches. The bark of the trunk is reddish-brown, the shoots are tetrahedral, elongated, located in different planes.

Large cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) - the most suitable for growing in closed spaces view. The plant is a tree with a pyramidal crown. The trunk is erect, with many outgoing horizontal branches covered with small scaly leaves. The leaves are light or dark green, the diameter of the cones is up to 3.8 cm. The plant has a yellow-green crown and dark lower branches.

Spreading

Since there are many types of cypress, each of them has a different origin. Most of these are countries with a temperate climate in the Northern Hemisphere - the Mediterranean, North America, southern China, but the Kashmir cypress is native to India. Evergreen cypress in the wild is widespread in the mountains of Asia Minor, Iran and the island of Cyprus, on the Greek islands of Crete and Rhodes. In culture since 1778. The homeland of the Arizona cypress is the southwestern United States, Mexico. In its natural environment, it grows in the Crimea and Transcarpathia. Mexican cypress or Lusitanian cypress is native to the southern United States and Mexico.

Regions of distribution on the map of Russia.

Procurement of raw materials

For medicinal purposes, cones, needles and cypress shoots are used. They are harvested still green and used in the form of infusions or decoctions. Ripe buds are also used. Cypress essential oil is obtained by steam distillation from the leaves and shoots of the plant.

Chemical composition

The chemical composition of the oil depends on the type of cypress, cutting time and distillation conditions. Cypress needles, shoots and cones contain terpene alcohols, aromatic hydrocarbons - camphene, terpene, terpineol, sabinol, cymene, pinene.

Pharmacological properties

The benefits of cypress are due to its unique chemical composition. Cypress preparations (essential oil, extract, infusions, tinctures, decoctions) have a deodorant, astringent, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, vasoconstrictor, sedative effect; improve memory, eliminate distraction and headaches; normalize hormonal balance, especially in women; eliminate bleeding gums, punctate hemorrhages and vascular networks (asterisks); prevent nervous breakdowns; relieve colic - hepatic, renal, intestinal, gastric; help fight excess weight and cellulite; used in the treatment of acute respiratory infections, flu, asthma, whooping cough and other diseases.

The beneficial properties of cypress oil make it active in healing wounds, cuts and bruises.

Application in traditional medicine

For a long time, cypress resin has been used to treat wounds and ulcers, and many pathogens perished under their action; they were prescribed for coughs, bronchitis and colds; they removed hiccups, stomach and intestinal cramps. Essential oil, in large quantities contained in the resins of cypress, it stops bleeding well and resolves hematomas; used in massage mixtures to strengthen the walls of blood vessels. The use of cypress allows you to get rid of edema, urinary incontinence and hemorrhage. Due to its ability to constrict blood vessels, cypress treatment is effective for varicose veins and hemorrhoids. Cypress oil tones the circulatory system and lowers the temperature during inflammatory processes in the body. Cypress has a beneficial effect on the liver and helps to maintain an optimal blood composition. Inhalation with cypress oil is used for flu and colds. Also, cypress essential oil helps to eliminate bleeding gums. The use of cypress oil is recommended for inflammatory diseases of the female reproductive system. Cypress oil baths can be taken in case of metabolic disorders, obesity, bronchitis, renal colic, migraine, excessive sweating. Cypress essential oil is a natural repellent.

Historical reference

Cypress and his valuable properties known since ancient times. Parchments and papyri were treated with cypress oil, dressings were impregnated when embalming the dead, knowing about the bactericidal properties of cypress. The island of Cyprus is named after the cypress plant, this tree was considered sacred. There is a legend about the young man Kuparissos, who was turned into a cypress tree. A cross was made from this tree, on which Jesus Christ was crucified. V ancient greece and in Rome, cypress was planted in cemeteries. Cypress wood was prized for its durability and resistance to decay. Ships, sarcophagi were made from it, used in the construction of houses.

Literature

1. Cypress, plants from the cypress family // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb., 1890-1907.

2. Denisova GA, Pilipenko FS Cypress family (Cupressaceae) // Plant Life. In 6 volumes / Ch. ed. Al. A. Fedorov. - M .: Education, 1978. - T. 4. Mosses. Plauns. Horsetails. Ferns. Gymnosperms. Ed. I. V. Grushvitsky and S. G. Zhilin. - S. 383-398. - 447 p. - 300,000 copies

3. Novitskaya G. Cypress and cypress. // Floriculture, 2007, No. 4, p. 36-39.

4. Yu. Shkolnik, Plants. Complete encyclopedia. M .: Liters, 2013 .-- p. 31.

Shrouded in mythical mystery and ancient legends, the cypress tree attracts attention with its majestic appearance and grace. According to an old legend, the son of the Greek king Keos, Cypress, while hunting, accidentally mortally wounded his favorite, a golden-horned deer. Cypress's grief was so immeasurable that he asked the gods to transform himself into a tree. The gods heard the prince's requests and transformed him into an evergreen slender tree. Since then, the plant has acquired the name cypress and has become a symbol of grief and sorrow.

Cypress attracts with its majestic appearance and grace

These exotic shrubs are of very ancient origin. During archaeological excavations, scientists have found fossils and preserved remains of cypress trees dating back to the Cenozoic era. In nature, there are about 25 of their species. Each one is different outward signs and quality features. Due to its distinctive characteristics, cypress has found application in various spheres of life.

Where the tree grows

The cypress is native to North America and "prefers" to grow in the subtropical and tropical climates of the northern hemisphere. Modern varieties grow in the mountains of Asia Minor, in the south of China, on the islands of Cyprus, Crete, along the entire Mediterranean coast, in the Himalayas. Since the second half of the eighteenth century, the tree of ancient Hellas was brought to the Crimean peninsula and is widely cultivated on its southern coast. According to another legend, a tree became the ancestor of Tauride cypresses, into which a beautiful girl turned, desperate to wait for her beloved from a distant journey. Every day she stood on the shore, waiting, peering into the sea. Without waiting, it grew roots into the rock, turning into a beautiful tree.

Evergreen cypress is used to create hedges

What is an exotic bush

Cypress - evergreen, long-lived conifer tree, belonging to the cypress family, with a height of 15 to 35 meters. In nature, there are specimens up to 2000 years old. In the first years of life, the plant grows violently, and by the age of 3 years it reaches a height of one and a half to two meters. At 50–60 years, growth slows down for some time and reaches its maximum by one hundred years.

A monoecious plant with a pyramidal or spreading crown, the cypress has small needle-shaped leaves, tightly pressed to the branches and arranged in four rows in tiles. The dorsal side of the leaves has sharply defined oil glands. The branches are densely overgrown with cones of a spherical or elongated-cylindrical shape, which ripen in the second year and give small seeds. Distinguish between male cones (microstrobila), consisting of a thyroid rod and female cones (megastrobila), consisting of a rod covered with wool and several criss-crossing scales.

Cypress reproduces mainly by cuttings and begins to bear fruit in the 5th year of life. At the end of March and until May, the tree enters an active flowering phase. At the tips of the lateral shoots, male spikelets of bright yellow color are formed, the needles acquire a dirty green tint from the abundance of pollen. The space around the flowering cypress plants is filled with the intoxicating scent of pine needles, which has disinfecting, bactericidal properties and is very useful for people suffering from respiratory and pulmonary diseases. Often during flowering, pollen causes swelling of the mucous membranes of the nose and eyes in people and is a strong allergen.

In the wild, the plant is absolutely unpretentious, has little soil demand, has a high drought resistance and shade tolerance. Cypress is quite light-requiring, frost-resistant and can withstand temperatures of minus 20 degrees, sometimes even more.

Cypress branches are densely overgrown with spherical cones

What are the benefits of this plant

In ancient times, the dark green branches of the cypress tree were considered a symbol of sadness. The plant was planted in cemeteries as a symbol of the decay of the body and the immortality of the soul. Cypress branches were placed in the tombs of the dead and decorated with plants at home as a sign of mourning. With the advent of Christianity, evergreen needles acquired a different meaning. From a symbol of sadness, she turned into a symbol of eternal life and joy. The description of the plant as a tree growing in the Garden of Eden is found in the Bible. By the way, according to separate Bible translations, it was from cypress that Noah built his Ark. Entire cities were planted with these trees in ancient times.

Cypress has a hard wood, rich in a high resin content, which ensures its good preservation. In the old days, the tree was considered sacred symbol incorruptibility. The ancient Egyptians made sarcophagi out of it, and mummies were embalmed with cypress oil.

Cypress used to be a rare and expensive tree species. Only very rich people could afford to have products from it. Due to its powerful structure, its wood was used in shipbuilding, housebuilding, furniture, church utensils (rosary, crosses, icon boards). Plutarch himself recommended writing all laws on cypress boards.

Essential oil is made from the needles and branches of cypress, which is successfully used in aromatherapy and medicine. Due to its antiseptic, tonic properties, the oil is effective against staphylococci and tubercle bacilli. Due to the inherent astringent properties, the product is used as a hemostatic agent. Patients with gout and arthritis are advised to take baths with cypress oil.

Cypress has a powerful male energy. Having a phallic shape, it is considered a truly masculine tree that has an impact on male potency. Able to induce and enhance sex drive. If you are in the immediate vicinity of the plant, the energy of the cypress will give the man an aura of irresistibility and sexual energy.

Cypress energy has the ability to protect from the "evil eye" and dark magic.

Cypress oil is made from the branches and needles of cypress